


In Knots

by ResidentAnchor



Category: Sander Sides, Thomas Sanders (Video Blogging RPF) - Fandom
Genre: Deceit isn't too bad, Just kind of there and sort of helps out, Just silly angst and fluff shenanigans, M/M, Red String of Fate, Soulmate AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-20
Updated: 2018-05-01
Packaged: 2019-04-05 01:03:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 12,341
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14032740
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ResidentAnchor/pseuds/ResidentAnchor
Summary: Soulmate AU with the red string of fate. It is believed those who can see the string are given the rare ability because they themselves have no soulmate.Patton tries not to let it get him down too much, though.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is gonna be a short side story I write, but my main focus right now is A Lesson in Practicality. 
> 
> (I mostly just need an excuse to write fluff while my other story is getting rather angsty...)

We are made of stardust.

More than just a scientific fact, an old folktale is that the soul is made from a star that once died, reborn to live a life anew. It was more than that, however. The stars fell to the blue planet and most split into two, sometimes bigger pieces. Pieces of the same whole, breaking into multiple souls causing the halves to yearn and reach for one another. Fate had given those pieces a chance at finding one another and tied them together in a long, almost endless string. It tied all the pieces back, letting their soul mates know that the other is out there. There was just one problem.

Most people didn't see the strings.

Though those who did were very rare and you could never be too sure if they were being truthful or not. Some people set up shops, claiming to see the strings. They would claim to be able to read it and let the person know if they had come in with their soulmate just to be completely sure in case of doubt, or to see how many strings were tied to their fingers. Mostly pinky fingers but fate had a way of letting others know just in case of accidents.

They say when you found your soulmate, it's like being able to breathe for the first time, everything is clear and you can feel that bit of the star warm up and shine through. In close enough bonds, they claimed you could even recognize them without the ability if you had been together in a past life close enough.

Society looked down at those who could see the strings throughout history. Claiming them to be witches and outcasting them or worse. Most people kept to themselves about their ability, especially due to the second old tale that came with it.

If you could see the strings, it's because you didn't have a soulmate. This could be because your star was whole and you didn't need to worry about that, or your other half wasn't born with you. Some even claimed to have gained the ability after their soulmates had passed. Fate always seemed to find a way to make things try and work, but sometimes it just... didn't.

Patton looked down at his hands and sighed before his gaze slowly slid up. Quickly, red threads seemed to be everywhere as he watched people walk by. Everyone had a string from what he could see, watching as they drag across the ground and weave through doorways and take up most spaces, though no one stopped and paid them any mind. 

He was having a bad day, not the kind of days he had very often but it hit him particularly hard today. He was a bit melancholy as he watched the bustle of the city walk by lost in his own thoughts. Patton believed in the best in people and when he loved, he loved with everything he had. He did so because he didn't have a soulmate. He should be happy, but on days like today, it just made him feel... tired.

He got up from his perch on the bench and tucked his hands in, ashamed of them on days like today, not that anyone would know the difference. He quickly walked down the street, watching the man talk on the phone just in front of him, not quite paying attention. He waited and watched, slowly getting closer before he pretended to trip and pushed into him, causing him to stumble. Patton watched as the man flailed and fell almost perfectly into another walking towards them. The man caught him and stumbled himself. They looked up at one another and froze, the phone conversation forgotten.

Patton smiled and kept walking. There wasn't much he could do, but after watching people too wrapped up in their own lives to see who was right in front of them, he would spend his bad days like today giving people a bit of a nudge, sometimes literally.

So what if Patton was alone? Love was real, he could see it. Wasn't that reason enough?


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These chapters are going to be a bit short. That means they should be more frequent, but I don't have much of a story to tell either.

It always happened right when he started getting too comfortable in one place. He hated moving, even if he never really did own too many personal items, but uprooting your life to a whole new city was always tiring. Patton had just started to feel like he had been there a bit too long with nothing going wrong when it finally happened. Too many trips he couldn't pass off as his own clumsiness, too many slips of the tongue trying to gently push people towards one another, and they started asking questions and doubting him. People started whispering, saying he had no soulmate, that he could see the strings and was trying to manipulate people.

It was always a touchy subject, one most people just outright avoided. Soulmates upset a lot of people, but not because they existed. Most people were upset they would never truly know, or how could they be sure? So many people pretended they could see the strings and made the true ones who could hide for fear of backlash. Patton always tried to be careful and whenever the rumors started up, he moved to another city to avoid it altogether. So far, Patton had an impressive list of places he had lived, but his plan worked every time. Maybe people were suspicious but never enough to confront him. At this point, he had moved enough that when he announced he had to move suddenly, it was almost expected.

Every new city always brought a familiar sight that made him feel almost at home. Red strings lining streets, sticking out of passing by cars, running through homes and windows, they were everywhere. They were always the familiar shade of red and no matter how long he watched strings wrapped around objects and up to people, he never got too terribly tired of it. 

Patton hadn't been in this newest city very long, so he went out to do some good old-fashioned people watching. He got to sit down and get a good feel for the city just watching people go about their day with no regards to anything else. Strings passing by, not catching on each other but on other objects as people walked by. He sat down on a bench and just watched the world pass by. He hadn't any connected strings so far, they tend to shake when another is near. No longer dragging on the ground as they got closer, bobbing up and down like an excited dog on a leash.

"Mind if I sit here?" Patton looked up and smiled, scooting over just a bit and making room for the stranger. "Thank you!" He sat down, hair swept to the side and not a single one out of place. He leaned back and threw an arm over the back of the bench as he looked out through the park. "Such a nice sunny day." He muttered softly.

Patton hummed in agreement, trying to ignore the hand just behind him that held his strings. The first rule, never look at another person's strings, it gives you away immediately. "Yes, it is!" He looked across the park. "Such lovely scenery today too!"

"Ahh, yes! The flowers are in bloom and everything is lush with green!" Patton chuckled a bit and looked over at the stranger. "I take it you may be a bit new to the city?"

"Oh? Yes, how did you figure that out?"

He placed his hand on his chest and puffed it out with pride. "Surely if I had seen someone as wonderfully warm as you before, I would remember! You practically radiate sunlight!" Patton smiled and stole a glance at the hand that was no longer behind him, spotting three strings tied to the stranger's hand. All of them, to his surprise, was off of the ground and pulled towards his nearby soulmates.

"Well!" Patton placed his hands on his cheek, a bit flattered by the compliment. "Thank you very much!"

"Of course!" The man turned back to the view. "The name's Roman."

"Patton!" He reached out, the man grabbing his hand in a handshake. "You live in the city long?"

"Mm. Not too terribly long, I moved around a lot for work. Something about this city though... I may stay here for quite a bit longer."

"Oh? You have any places you like to go? I'm open to suggestions!"

Patton was determined to make friends with Roman, which luckily was pretty easy. He was good at making friends with seemingly anyone, and Roman was an outgoing person. Their personalities clicked together seamlessly. 

Patton kept an eye on his three strings though, knowing Roman was so close to his destiny. He had to stay focused and not get too attached, for he was here to help Roman and others like him before he had to move on once again. Taking a chance, Patton gave out his number and they made plans to hang out, starting out simple. They had just met up before Patton noticed one of the three strings shift and turn. Casually, he looked over and had to hide his smile as he saw the strings end tied to another. He shifted his gaze away quickly and looked up at Roman, who had unfortunately become curious and noticed his distraction. He turned and looked over his shoulder at the man whose back was faced to them before smirking over at Patton.

"Oh, like something you see over there?"

Patton jumped and tried to wave it off. "No, no. Just thought I saw something! You were saying?"

Roman smirked and looked back over as the man turned, glancing away from the wall of posters he had apparently been reading. "Oh, he's cute. Are you sure? I could talk to him for you."

It wasn't exactly ideal but it was the best opening Patton was going to get. "How about you get him in casual conversation and I walk over if that works out?"

Roman smiled and didn't hesitate to march off, beelining for the man. Patton watched as their strings danced around as he got closer before they coiled up on the ground, smirking at the sight. Roman called out and the man spun around, revealing a pair of glasses and a colorful tie. The stranger looked confused but smirked as Roman talked to him and Patton let out a low sigh. He glanced and tried picking out if the stranger also had more strings, but the distance made it difficult to tell which ones were his. He shrugged it off, willing to work on that another day since this one went so well. Turning around, Patton walked off, humming to himself and letting the two bond. He heard Roman call out to him but did his best to ignore it before someone grabbed his shoulder gently. Patton turned, seeing Roman had run up, the stranger in tow. They both watched him curiously as if surprised he had just turned and walked away.

Roman dropped the man's arm and crossed his arms in a huff. "Where were you going? You said you would come over!"

"Well, gee! You both seemed like you were having fun and getting along great, I knew I could hear all about it later!"

"We could have all had fun together, Patton!"

Patton shifted, giving a small smile but feeling a bit guilty he got caught. "I just didn't want to get in the way!"

The stranger walked up, adjusting his glasses and held out a hand. "Hello, my name is Logan," Patton smirked and shook his hand. "May I ask, what was it you were trying not to get in the way of?"

Patton pulled his hand back and shoved it in his pocket, trying not to think about how he noticed Logan had similar strings to Roman. "Well, it's always good to make friends, but sometimes I can be a bit energetic and it's a lot for some people. Roman and I are a lot alike, so I didn't wanna push it!" As much as he hated lying, there was truth in his words. "I didn't mean to offend!"

"Well, how about we all get to know each other then, Patton? That alright with you, Logan? I know this was kind of sudden..."

"No, no. That is quite alright. My plans for this afternoon had fallen through already."

"Excellent!" Roman linked arms with both men, Patton realizing just how quickly Roman seemed to warm up to strangers. "Adventure is out there, let us go!"


	3. Chapter 3

A week had passed and Patton was still mainly focused on Roman and Logan. Despite his efforts, neither wanted to be alone with each other and bot encouraged Patton in on every activity. When he turned them down due to being busy, they simply planned to reschedule as to not leave him out. As wonderful as it was to have caring friends, it started to become a bit of a problem. 

Until one day they were due to meet up, Roman didn't show and it was simply him and Logan. Patton sent Roman a big text saying he wished he had given a heads up so they could all reschedule like they would do for him. He didn't receive any answers back before Logan suggested grabbing coffee quick, recommending a coffee place a few blocks away. Patton watched as they passed numerous places that sold coffee before Logan opened the door for Patton and motioned for him to walk in first.

He took a step inside, noticing one of Logan's strings bouncing around before looking around for Roman. To his surprise, it wasn't Roman that connected to the end of this string but he turned away from the man sitting alone at a table in the back before looking over and pretending to choose what he wanted. 

Logan grabbed a coffee as Patton stared up confused, not really being a coffee drinker himself. "Um." Patton looked over, the man beside him nervous as he pointed to the open register. "Are you on line?"

"No! Please, go right ahead!" He smirked and looked up before turning back to Patton, looking as though he wanted to say something. "You okay?"

"Yeah, just..." He sighed and looked back at Patton. "They have this tea that tastes just like blueberry muffins. I mean, if you wanted to give it a try. Not that I'm saying you should just get it, get what you want! You just look a little bit lost, so I wanted to suggest, I mean I just..." He seemed to start to grow a bit frantic and Patton smiled at him. "Sorry."

"No need to apologize! That sounds great, I think that's what I'll try."

"Let me get it! I mean, in case you don't like it. I don't want you spending money on something I suggested and you don't like it after." He seemed a bit frazzled as he talked but calmed a bit once he saw Patton smile back at him.

"No need, but if you insist, then you have to give me something in return..." 

The man froze, turning away a bit. "What would that be?"

"Your name! Maybe we could be friends!" He reached up, sticking out a hand. "Name's Patton!"

The man stared down at Patton's hand as if he was surprised at the offer before glancing back up. He smirked, reaching and grabbing it himself. "Uh, Virgil."

"Well, it is lovely to meet you, Virgil!"

Virgil walked up to the counter as Patton's eyes trailed his string headed straight for Logan who had claimed an empty table back near where Virgil had previously been sitting. He glanced back just as Virgil turned around, two cups in his hand. He reached one out and smirked. "Here, I can just tell this one is yours by the smell."

Patton grabbed the cup and leaned down before smiling. "Oh my goodness! That smells just like a muffin!" Virgil walked by and Patton followed, enamored by the pleasant smell of his drink. He stopped at the table Logan was sitting at, surprised to see Virgil smiling down at his friend. 

"Well, hey there Lo. Didn't expect to see you here."

Patton smiled and sat down, glad Logan had chosen a table for four people. "You two know each other? Well gosh! Sit down, Virgil! I'd love for you to join us!"

Virgil took a seat next to Logan and nudged him a bit. "You didn't tell me you were coming here. Just wanted to check up on me, huh?"

Logan turned his head and to Patton's surprise, a blush crept up on his face. "Well, you said you were not feeling well."

Patton leaned in a bit, eyes watching the both of them carefully. Virgil turned and froze, seeing he had been caught. He turned the opposite direction and picked up his cup for a sip, hiding his face. "Oh, sorry." Patton leaned back a bit. "Just a bit surprised and confused?"

Logan cleared his throat a bit, gathering attention. "Yes, well, that would be my fault. I do apologize for that. Virgil hadn't been doing so well this morning so when he said he was out at his favorite coffee place feeling better, I just wanted to step in and see how he was doing myself. I didn't bring it up because I didn't expect him to be up for much social interaction."

Virgil snorted a laugh into his coffee and turned to Logan. "I told you I was fine this morning. It wasn't bad, really. You worry too much, Lo."

"You told him you were here?" Patton turned to Virgil, asking curiously. Virgil shrugged and smirked into his cup. "Well, gee! You could have told me that, Logan! I would have understood if he was not up to talking. You feel okay now, though?"

Virgil smirked and nodded appreciatively. "Yeah, ignore that one. He gets a bit overprotective sometimes."

"Well, I'm still learning how this whole thing works. You were more prepared for it than I was." Logan turned to Patton who forced a smile through his utter confusion before taking a sip of his tea. "I apologize, I suppose we should explain." He spared a glance to Virgil. "How much are you willing to share?"

Virgil placed his cup on the table and sighed, leaning in and looking at Patton. He ducked his head down as he did to whisper so no one would here. "Look. You've become friends with Logan over the past week or so. I'm going to trust his judgment but one bad word and I'm out." Patton nodded, leaning in a bit himself. "I, well. I hired a guy online who said he could see the strings and he lead me to Logan. We're soulmates."

Patton blinked and looked between the two before smiling. "Oh my gosh that is so cute!" Both smirked and tried hiding the growing blushes forming on their faces. "My goodness, that is so sweet!"

Virgil laughed to himself a bit before muttering, "Yeah. Trust a guy online to turn out to be right for once."

"While I do agree that trusting in strangers you meet through unconventional needs is rather risky..." Logan adjusted his glasses a bit before turning to Virgil. "I'm glad you came here and found me. I have benefitted greatly from our time together so far and hopefully will continue to do so in the future."

"Aww, I care about you too, you nerd."

Patton smiled and took another bigger sip of his tea as it had cooled. He hummed to himself, enjoying the taste before turning to the others. "Well! If you two want some time alone, I don't mind! Roman kind of bailed anyway so I can give you two-" Patton stopped as both seemed shocked and upset at his words. "-are you two okay?"

Virgil pretended to cough as he glanced back down. "Yeah. If you wouldn't mind, I would like to get to know Logan's newest friend a bit more?"

Patton looked back down, catching their strings all bouncing and knowing there was still a third person out there for them. He nodded, smiling brightly before picking up his cup. "Well, I'd love to get to know you better as well. You're just as sweet as this tea!"

Patton smiled when Virgil snorted out a quick laugh, pretending Logan hadn't groaned in response.


	4. Chapter 4

The woman nervously glanced away from Patton as she played with a loose strand of hair. "Are you sure he said that?"

"Well, why wouldn't he?" Patton rubbed her back comfortably and turned towards her. "You have nothing to worry about! If you don't want to do it you don't have to."

He seemed to calm her down a bit as he looked over at something before looking back at Patton. "No, you're right. I have more to gain than to lose."

"That's the spirit sorta!" Patton patted her on the back and smiled as she marched over to the man she nervously had been watching. "You got this!" 

She approached the man and Patton watched as they seemed to have just clicked, smirking as he turned away after he was sure all was well. He checked the time and quickened his pace, realizing he was running a bit late. He rounded the corner to the cafe he hadn't been back to since the day he met Virgil and walked inside. Glancing around, he saw Virgil sitting in the back and made his way over, seeing the other turn and smile as he approached.

"Hey. I was getting worried."

Patton smiled and shrugged. "Sorry! Got a bit distracted. Hope you didn't wait too long?"

Virgil didn't answer but held out a styrofoam cup. "Not too long. Got you something while I waited."

Patton thanked him and grabbed the cup, enjoying how warm it was. "Good. Well, I was hoping we could walk and talk?" Virgil raised an eyebrow curiously but stood up, putting the chair back under the table carefully before they headed for the front door. Patton raced up and held it open for the other and Virgil thanked him as he stepped through. "So, how have you been?"

"Fine." Virgil looked down at his cup. "Logan tells me you have a bad habit of trying to make friends with strangers. Is that why you were late?"

"There was also a dog!" Patton smirked, still guilty he was so late. "Yeah, sorry. I didn't mean to get so caught up."

"You just seem to gravitate to people, I kinda get it." 

"Still, I'm glad you waited. I've been wanting to get to know you more!"

Virgil ran his thumb over the lip of his cup. "Is that why you asked me to meet you here? Cause I've gotta say, I'm kinda worried you just wanted something."

"Nothing but your friendship!" Patton perked up, completely determined. "You seem like a wonderful person, who wouldn't want to be friends with you?"

Virgil smiled a bit before it fell and he turned away. "Logan tells me how well you get along with him and Roman. Kinda thought after knowing them there wouldn't much need to get to know me."

"That is it!" Patton stomped his foot angrily. "I am going to help make you realize you are a wonderful person, you got that?" Virgil jumped a bit but smiled and chuckled at Patton's behavior. "That's more like it. Here." Patton reached out a hand and slowly grabbed Virgil's. He lifted it up to Virgil's chest, pressing it against his heart. "You feel that?" Virgil nodded, staring at Patton with wide eyes. "That is a strong heart that has made it through every day, good or bad, and still keeps going. That's because you have reasons to smile and people who care for you. There's a reason they care, and it's because it's deserved. You won't realize any of that until you realize you deserve it."

Patton slowly backed off and Virgil kept his hand where it was before slowly pulling it away. He looked down at it before grabbing his cup with both hands and turned away. "You sound like Roman." He looked up at Patton and continued down the sidewalk. "So, enough talking. I know what you really want to ask me."

Patton sped up and matched pace with Virgil. "What are you talking about? I just wanted to get to know you better!"

"I'm sure that's true." Virgil took a sip from his cup, letting his pause draw out longer. "I also know how interested you were when I mentioned Logan and I were soulmates." He refused to make eye contact with Patton just yet, keep an eye out where he was going. "I can read people pretty well. So go ahead and ask. I already know what you're going to say."

Patton followed along in silence for a moment before sighing. "Alright well, I guess... who did you find that saw the strings?"

Virgil stopped and looked at Patton in shock. "Oh, uh... I'm not sure I should answer that. It's not my secret to tell, really."

"You said you found them online." Patton tilted his head, confused. "Can't you just send me the website then?"

"He took it down," Virgil said rather quickly. "He doesn't do it anymore."

"Oh. So, you have no way of contacting him then?" Patton watched Virgil start to panic before sighing. "Okay, that's alright. Guess I have to stick to the old fashioned way then, huh?"

"I'm sorry." Virgil sighed and hunched over a bit. "I just don't think I should say."

"Already forgotten about." Patton waved it off. "I would never pressure you into something."

Virgil couldn't help but smile. "Ha! Except for making me love myself in a weirdly deep moment, right?"

Patton felt himself blush in embarrassment. "Sorry, I get ahead of myself sometimes!"

"Can I ask... why you wanted to know?"

Virgil shot Patton a side glance as the other man relaxed a bit. "Just wanted to know, you know?" For once, Patton broke his rule and held out a hand, staring down at it and wiggling his fingers. "I wonder if I even have one sometimes." He knew he didn't, but seeing his bare hand in a world full of people who all seemed to have soulmates, he thought he would meet someone like him eventually. He dropped his hand and held his cup closer. "Not a big deal though!" He smiled over at Virgil. "I'll find out sooner or later, huh?"

"Sorry, Patton. If I could see them, I'd help you."

"Nah, it's okay. Besides, you have Logan! Isn't that exciting? What is it like?"

Virgil shrugged and smiled, blushing a bit. "It was kind of hard to explain but Logan took it well, I guess. That whole day was..." He let out a breath and shook his head. "It was pretty crazy, but everything seems to be working out okay."

Patton's eyes searched Virgil's hoodie for something to stare at as to not glance down at his other strings. "You think it's just gonna be you and Logan? I mean, they say you can tell when you've met all of your parts."

Virgil shrugged and threw his head back, taking a big sip of his coffee. He let out a sigh and smiled at Patton. "No, I know how many strings Lo and I have. We'll figure things out eventually."

"Well, what about Roman?"

"What about him?"

"I dunno, just seems like Roman would be the kind of guy who's all about finding his soulmates," Virgil smirked over at Patton silently. "I guess I'm just surprised he's never said anything."

Virgil stopped and Patton turned, looking at him confused. "Soulmates, huh?" Patton didn't seem to get what he was trying to say. Virgil took a step closer and stared at Patton as his smirk grew. "How do you know he doesn't have just one soulmate? What makes you say soulmates?"

Patton froze, not having noticed his little slip-up. "Oh, uh, just was talking without thinking! Slip of the tongue, that's all."

"You seem awfully nervous about that slip-up."

"Oh, psh, you're thinking too much about it!"

Virgil leaned in and smiled. "You can see them, can't you?" Patton's mouth fell open, immediately ready to defend himself. "Don't lie to me, Patton. Just tell me the truth." Patton took a step back and took a breath of air. He felt a heavy weight in his chest as his throat closed up, too afraid to speak. He nodded at Virgil and fidgeted with the cup in his hands. "I knew it." Virgil smiled at Patton. "Don't be upset, I'm not mad. Just curious as to why you wanted to know who helped me when you can see them yourself."

For the first time since they met, Virgil saw Patton drop his smile and his shoulders drop. He suddenly looked older and like he hadn't slept for far too long. "You know what they say. If you can see the strings, then... I never met anyone else like that. No one really understands the feeling, not completely. Just wanted someone to relate to, I guess." 

Virgil nodded and pulled out his phone. "Give me your number."

Patton jumped, looking at Virgil as he typed away on his phone. "Why?"

"Because." Virgil looked up and smiled. "I'm going to send you his e-mail. Should still exist, even if the site is down." Virgil handed his phone over, the new contact menu open. "It's not much, but you can talk to him."

Patton stared at the phone before slowly reaching out and grabbing it. "Thank you."

"No problem, but I have one last question."

"What is it?"

"How many strings do I have? I just want to be sure."

Patton glanced down, seeing Virgil's hands wrapped around his cup, one pinky having three strings tied around it, shaking and going in different directions. "Three."

"That's what he said too."

Patton handed his phone back. "You really can't see them?"

"Nope. I always wondered what you could see if you did."

Patton shrugged it off, it was no big deal when you saw them every day. "Messy."

"Come on." Virgil started walking down the street once more. "How about we talk and forget about all that for now, hm?"

"Alright, but if you talk bad about yourself again-"

"I got it. Keep it internalized." He smirked at Patton who playfully glared back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Do you know HOW MANY OF YOU just figured all of them could see the strings? I mean, that's what I WANTED you to think, so I guess that worked. But, come on... it's tagged as angst and fluff, you should know me better by now.


	5. Chapter 5

Patton spent far longer than he should have on a short e-mail as he meticulously picked out every word carefully. He knew he only had one first chance to get this stranger to hear him out and he tried pouring his natural Patton Positivity into every word.

Unfortunately, it doesn't translate well when you can't hear or see how sincere he was trying to be.

The response he got back wasn't immediate, but it was quick enough. 'Lose this e-mail and don't reply back.'

Patton huffed but simply became more determined, quickly writing out a short response. Perhaps not thinking it over was the better option? He explained how he wasn't out looking for his soulmate, but just someone to talk to. Patton made sure to keep out his name and Virgil's, not wanting the person to get mad about where he got the information. He had decided that if he was blunt and honest but couldn't get an answer, he wouldn't push it further. Just knowing he was so close to getting to know someone like himself was exciting.

Luckily, he must have done something right, for the next e-mail took a while to get a response, but the answer was a little more positive. Simple questions, probably to test if Patton was being truthful about being able to see them or not. He answered them all before getting another response back. All it said was an address, a date, and a time. It said to bring one person with and be there. 

Patton immediately tried to call Virgil to see if he would go, but he declined. Apparently, he would be busy that day but said Patton was better off asking Logan or Roman. He went back and forth about which one would be the better option before just asking Logan, who Patton was sure would keep a level head and not allow him to get too wrapped up in everything.

They arrived that afternoon. Logan giving the directions as they walked down the street as Patton nervously tried to explain why he was meeting up with 'a friend' without explaining anything. Virgil knew, but Patton still felt that sense of panic when he thought about actually telling anyone. 

Logan stopped and looked up at the building, raising an eyebrow and turning to Patton. "Are you sure this is the place?"

"It's the address he gave me, yeah." Patton looked up and matched the numbers to the e-mail he got before glancing over at the sign above the door. "Maybe we just walk in?"

Logan tucked his phone away, walking up the stairs and opening the door for a nervous Patton. They walked inside and were greeted by a narrow room that held only a desk, a small bench, and a door leading to another room on the side. Patton glanced around as Logan walked up to the desk. He looked down and rang the bell on top, causing Patton to jump. There was a creaking of the floorboards and footsteps before the side door opened up, revealing a tall man in a suit. "Ahh, can I help you two?"

"Hi! Sorry, uh, I e-mailed a friend and he said to be here at this address about now, so I was wondering if you were-"

"Ah!" The man lit up and clapped his hands together. "You are my afternoon appointment!" Logan looked over at Patton confused before glancing back at the man. "Yes, everything has been handled. Please, right this way."

He walked back through the door and Patton walked over to Logan, tucking his head down. "Sorry, do you think we should leave?"

Logan hummed before heading over to the door. "We've come this far. Perhaps wait it out a bit more to see what is going on? You seemed very excited earlier." He looked back at Patton. "If you leave now, the unanswered questions will only grow to bug you further." With that, Logan walked through the doorway and vanished from sight. Patton stood up and squared his shoulders before walking through the door.

The room was fairly plain, a chair and a couch separated by a small coffee table. Logan walked over and sat on the couch, the man had already taken his place at the chair. Patton quickly took a seat next to Logan, drumming his fingers on his knees while the man sat back and watched the two. 

"Well, let's get this started, shall we?"

"Oh!" Patton smiled a bit. "Yes! So, you, uh... You can see the strings?"

"Well, of course. Why else would I be running this business?" He smirked to himself and it seemed a bit unsettling to Patton.

Patton looked over at Logan who eyed the man down carefully. "Please elaborate, if you do not mind," Logan spoke with a firm tone. "What is your business wishing to do? Your mission statement?"

The man scrunched his nose up a bit but smiled through it, lacing his fingers together. "You came to me because you wish to know if you two are soulmates, correct? I merely wish to unite the world with their true loves, but the world is a bit cruel so all advertisements tend to be a bit... vague."

Patton watched the man smile back at him while the unease only seemed to grow. "Oh, well..." Patton rubbed the back of his head. "That's not... it exactly."

The man nodded as he leaned in a bit. "Well, you wish to know if you have more than one string. Understandable. Worry not. That's what I do! It's what I live for." Patton quickly became a bit unsure of the whole thing, but never got a chance to get a word out. "Well, for one, you are quite interesting." The man turned to Logan first. "Two strings, a rare site. You are out to find the other, are you not?"

Logan sat still rather unamused as Patton watched the two. "Wait..."

The man turned to him. "You have two as well!"

"I do?" Patton looked down at his hand, nothing tied to it as usual. He looked back up and sighed, turning away. "I think there's been a bit of a misunderstanding."

"No, surely not!" The man chuckled as he leaned back in his chair. "I have not been wrong about these things!"

Patton looked over, watching Logan's three strings, not two, bounce around. He glanced around the building and saw the lack of red running through the place. He always figured if he was settled down and running a business like this, the place would be littered with strings of the destinies that walked through, but this place was particularly bare. Logan's strings were there, yes, but besides that, it was quite empty. He looked over at the man so sure of himself as he spoke, noticing a string tied to his. It was slack and on the ground, his soulmate nowhere to be seen. "Well, someone said Logan had three strings, not two."

The man shook his head and sighed. "Well, unfortunately, there are fakers out there who would try and take advantage of folk like you."

"Well, what about you?" Patton said, motioning to his hand. "What about your soulmate?"

The man frowned and sneered back. "Lacking manners, are you? Those who see strings have no soulmate."

For a moment, Patton considered no speaking back and let him continue, but he was tired and even if he didn't want Logan to know, people who faked seeing the strings for their benefit always rubbed him the wrong way. Who were they to mess with love?!

"Yes, you do!" Patton pointed to the man's hand. "You have one string, right there! Why would you deny your soulmate and yourself like that just to make a quick buck, huh?" Patton stood up, growing steadily angrier. "You're not only getting in the way of your happy ending, but everyone you lie to that comes in here!" He shot a hand out to Logan. "He's met his soulmates! They're wonderful, and to lie to him? If he were to believe you, that would be taking his happiness away! How could you just do that?" He turned to the door, not looking back. "I think there was a mistake, we're going!"

Patton was out the door and down the street before Logan caught up to him and managed to get his attention. He grabbed his arm and carefully tugged back, watching Patton closely. "You need to calm down, Patton."

"Sorry, it's just-!" He huffed and took a moment to breathe before looking over at Logan. "Sorry. Virgil found out and gave me the e-mail to the guy that found you for him and he told me to meet him here so we could talk about what it's like to see the strings when no one else could but he turned out to be a fake!" Patton threw his hands around as he talked, still riled up. "Why would he..." Patton felt his phone buzz and pulled it out, seeing an e-mail from the man. 

"Wait, did you say Virgil gave you his e-mail?" Logan inquired as he adjusted his glasses. "Patton-"

"And now he's sending me another e-mail. To gloat, no doubt." He typed away on his phone, pulling up his newest message.

"Patton, that man wasn't-"

"Wait, what is he trying to play now?" Patton re-read the message. "Have I met him yet? Who is him? I thought I was meeting you!" He yelled at his phone.

Logan placed his hand on Patton's covering the phone. Patton looked up, face red and he bit his tongue. "Patton. That wasn't the man who e-mailed you. I would have known if it was, right?" Logan watched Patton deflate and slump over a bit. "I must say, watching you spin that liar on his head though was quite amusing." He smiled, watching Patton perk up a bit. "You have a heart of gold, Patton. I can see why you care about people so deeply. If you can see the strings, then it makes logical sense you would speak with your heart, metaphorically of course."

"Oh, thanks, Lo!" Patton latched himself onto Logan, wrapping him in a big hug. "Virgil just figured it out but I kind of got so mad I didn't care. I was worried what you would think."

Logan carefully placed his arms around Patton, awkwardly returning the hug. "Yes, well... If a man who could see the strings was the one to introduce Virgil and me, it would be silly to simply write you off as well." Patton pulled away from the hug, which Logan was grateful for. "So, you don't have a string." He stated as if it were fact. "He didn't have any either when we met. I asked him a few questions about what it was like, seeing fates tied together. I was skeptical at first, but he said something that convinced me to at least try to believe."

"Oh? What's what?"

"That isn't the idea of it being true enough to want it to be true? Logical or not, there's something almost wonderful about it... and there was something I experienced when I met Virgil I couldn't quite explain."

"Just Virgil?"

Logan smirked very subtly, but Patton managed to notice it. "What do you mean?"

"Have you never felt like that before?"

"Perhaps... Are you insinuating something, Patton?"

"No, no! Of course not!"

"Sure, I'll also let your previous comment about me meeting my multiple soulmates slide for now."

Patton smiled a bit brighter about the whole situation. "You know... You have a good heart, Lo. I know you say emotions aren't your thing but... your heart is in the right place."

"Of course it is." Logan placed a hand on his chest. "It's exactly where it is supposed to be, anatomically."

"Was that a dad joke?"

".... we never speak of this again."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That con artist they met? The big fat liar? That is my cameo of Deceit for this fic. I can't settle on a name for him that I like so I just avoided it. Oh well.


	6. Chapter 6

Logan watched as Virgil tapped his fingers absentmindedly on the table, staring down at his phone. Every once in a while, he'd reach over and press a button, lighting up the front screen. After a moment, he would let out a sigh and turn away, upset at whatever he didn't find and repeat the process over.

"Are you alright, Virgil?"

"Oh, yeah sorry Logan." He sat up and pushed his phone away. "You were saying?"

"I wasn't." Logan looked down at Virgil's phone for a moment. "I stopped talking when you seem to have been distracted. Is everything alright?"

Virgil hunched over a bit in guilt. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to ignore you like that."

Logan simply waved the comment off. "Nonsense. I was merely speaking about my day. However, if there is something bothering you, research shows communication is the best way to get through such issues."

"You know you don't have to research stuff like that, right?"

"As I have been told. Now, your issue?" Logan motioned down to Virgil's phone at the table. "You've been checking it to repetitively. Are you expecting something? Perhaps the best answer is to ask for the response once more if an extended period of time has passed."

Virgil shook his head and leaned back in his chair. "No, I'm just being impatient. I just need a good distraction."

Logan folded his hands in front of him and leaned in a bit on the table. "Good, because I have something I wish to discuss with you and Roman."

\---

Patton glanced down at his phone before entering the bakery, a bit confused why Roman had asked to meet up with him, not at the usual cafe. He walked in and immediately spotted Roman who had already stood up and waved him over. Patton smiled and walked over, taking a seat across from Roman. "Well someone is in a good mood!"

Roman shrugged and leaned back in his chair. "What can I say? It's a wonderful day, isn't it?" Roman picked up a brown bag from the side and pulled out a muffin, handing it over to Patton. "For you."

"Oh, thank you!" Patton picked it up and smiled as it still felt a bit warm. "It smells wonderful." He picked at the wrapper carefully and tried not to make too much of a mess. "So, what did you want to talk about?"

"Do you remember the day we met?"

"Of course I do, it was only a few weeks ago." Patton took a bite of the muffin and perked up, covering his mouth with his hand as he quickly ate. "It's so good!"

Roman smirked and nodded before continuing. "Well, there was just something about you that made me have to sit down and get to know you."

"Aww, Roman!" Patton put down the muffin and couldn't help the smile that grew on his face. "I remember, you compared me to sunshine!"

Roman chuckled and shook his head. "If I only knew how right I had been." He looked up and smiled at Patton, leaning in a bit. "I wanted to talk to you. I think I figured out-" Roman's phone started going off and he sighed, pulling it out of his pocket. He stared down at it before pressing a button, placing it at the side of the table. "Sorry about that." He smiled and looked back up at Patton. "I was saying-" Roman's phone vibrated and started going off once more. Patton looked down at it and smiled a bit, motioning for Roman to take it. With a huff, Roman snatched his phone up and answered it quickly. "I'm in the middle of something, can this wait?"

Patton watched Roman's irritated look grow to a concerned one, looking up at Patton before turning away completely. "Everything alright?" He whispered, earning a look from the other.

"Okay, I'll be there soon. No, it's fine. I can do it later." Roman shut his eyes and rubbed his head before nodding to himself. "Alright. See you soon. Bye." Roman pulled the phone away and hung up, letting out a bit sigh. He looked up at Patton and gave an apologetic look before he hunched over a bit. "Sorry, that was Virgil. He and Logan need me over at their place pronto, said it was important." He stood up and shoved his phone in his pocket. "I'm sorry. I dragged you out here for nothing, but Virgil never calls me like this so it must be important."

"No, no! It's perfectly fine!" Patton picked up his muffin with a smile. "Besides, I got a muffin out of it!"

Roman smiled and stared at Patton for a moment before heading for the door. "I'll make it up to you soon, promise!"

Patton waved as Roman raced out of the bakery, turning back to his muffin and taking a bite. He stood up, quickly cleaning up his mess before heading out of the bakery himself. The red string that lay just above the floor that attached to Roman shook a bit. Patton followed it, turning the opposite direction Roman had gone and following it down the street. He was careful to watch where he was going, never really looking away from the string. If they had one more soulmate, then it was his job to find them.


	7. Chapter 7

It was turning out to be a rather unusual day. 

It was only a few hours after Patton had left the bakery and parted ways with Roman. That's where things had started to get interesting.

First off, Roman's unusual request and strange departure aside, Patton had followed Roman's last string in hopes of finding the last missing piece to their puzzle. He had followed it for a bit, nearly finishing his entire muffin, when the string suddenly fell flat against the ground and vanished into thin air. Patton jumped and turned around, the string he had followed completely gone. In all his years, he had never seen something like it happen before.

Then he got a call from Roman of all people, apologizing and asking him if he felt up to visiting them at Logan's apartment, which made him even more confused. Patton asked if everything was alright, remembering Virgil had called about an emergency. Roman simply chuckled and asked if he would be able to make it over, not sounding the least bit worried about whatever had happened, so Patton had agreed.

Then, on his way to Logan's place, he got an e-mail response back from the man who he had been talking to, the one Virgil said could see the strings. After much reluctance, he, seemingly out of nowhere, changed his mind and was willing to meet up with him. Patton excitedly replied, happy to talk to him in person for once and asked when they should meet. He didn't hear back from him for the rest of his small trip despite his hopes. He decided to distract himself and focus on whatever Roman had tried talking to him about before, and about what had happened and why he was going to see him now. Why Logan's apartment of all places? If Virgil had called him, does that mean all three of them were there?

Patton checked his phone once more and sent Roman a response that he would be there in a few moments, matching the address up with the buildings as he passed. Before he even made it, Roman burst through a door and looked around until he spotted Patton. He waved and called out to him loudly, causing the other to laugh as he jogged up. "There you are! Come, I have something I want to talk to you about!" Roman ran back inside, not waiting for Patton to race up the stairs to the building as he vanished from sight. Luckily, Patton managed to follow pretty easily, walking into the apartment with the door ajar. Glancing around, it was pretty organized and cleaned, except for the area where Roman stood. 

Patton turned and closed the door, walking further in and glancing around. "Are the others here?" Patton ignored the other two strings that stretched into the back of the apartment.

"It's going to start as just us. The other lovebirds will join us later." Roman leaned forward from his spot on the couch, motioning to the corner of the loveseat closest to him. "Please sit. We have something to talk about."

"Okay," Patton spoke softly and slowly made his way over to the seat. He tried shaking off the nervous feeling and smiled at Roman as bright as he could. "So, what's this all about?"

"Well, Virgil called me over to tell me something rather interesting." Roman's eyes never left his hands. "Did you know that I'm their soulmate?"

"My goodness, really?" Patton perked up, using his excitement that they had gotten together to hide the fact he already knew. "That's so sweet, they called you over and told you?"

Roman smirked a bit and shook his head. "No, that's not what they told me. Honestly, we've known for a while."

Patton could feel his shoulders drop drastically as he frowned. "What?" Confused, he looked up at Roman who still wouldn't look over at him. "But... Why hide it then?"

Roman laughed and finally looked up at Patton. "We're not. Patton, Virgil and I both live here with Logan. We only really hid it from you."

Patton's brows scrunched together in his baffled state. "No, wait... that doesn't make sense." He thought back to the day he had met Roman and Logan. "You went and talked to him that day in the park for me when we met."

"Oh, no sorry. I left Logan to go sit with you that day in the park. We were on a walk together, Virgil had work so..."

Patton shook his head, thinking back to that day. "You walked over to him to try and hook us up, though. Why would you do that if he was your soulmate?"

Instead of answering, Roman reaching down to the table and picked up his phone, typing away quickly. "They brought me here to tell me something they both discovered that I hadn't known." He typed away in silence for a moment before placing his phone back down. "I don't know how I didn't see it before. It makes so much sense now."

"Roman, I really have no idea what you're going on about. Mind helping me out?" Patton's phone chimed and Roman smirked at the noise. "Roman?"

"You should check that."

"It's not important right now."

"Humor me."

Patton sighed and pulled out his phone, noticing the new e-mail he had received. He glanced up at Roman who motioned for him to go on before clicking on it and staring at it confused. An e-mail from the man that got Virgil and Logan together... "R-roman...?"

"So, Patton." Roman leaned back into the couch, a bit too full of himself. "How was that deceitful fool I sent you to? He still in denial?" 

Patton blinked up from his phone and looked at Roman in utter shock. "You? Y-you can... see them?" Patton looked down at Roman's hand, staring at the three strings tied to his pinky. "But that doesn't make any sense."

As a response, Roman stretched out his arm and looked down at his hand. "Two go into the back room while one is out the front door, that about right?" Roman crossed his arms over his chest before looking back at Patton. "I'll tell ya, finding Logan with Virgil was an experience. It's a funny story, actually..."

"You can see them!" Patton said, staring down at the floor. "You can, but you have strings? I don't-" Patton shook his head and looked away. 

Roman jumped up, finally noticing Patton's distress as he made his way over. He kneeled down in front of the other and held out a hand. "Woah, hey! Calm down. You okay?" He reached over and rubbed Patton's back, the other fixated on Roman's hand. "You good?"

"You can see them b-but you have strings..." Patton's grip on the cushion underneath him grew tighter. "How is that possible? I don't... I don't have..."

Roman frowned and let out a small breath, rubbing Patton's back a bit more. "You have no strings, I know."


	8. Chapter 8

Logan reached out and placed a hand on Virgil's leg to stop it from shaking. The other muttered out a quiet apology before shifting on the bed. 

"What if he's mad?"

"I'm sure Patton will forgive us for telling his secret to Roman. He wanted to meet the man that got us together, did he not?"

Virgil huffed and pushed himself onto the bed further, hugging his legs. "What if he's upset we lied to him about Roman being our soulmate?"

"This is why we agreed Roman needed to explain the situation to him. We had to be completely sure."

"Yeah, but-"

Logan closed his book and turned to Virgil with a smile on his face. "Whatever issues we need to resolve, we will do it together. There is no need to worry."

Virgil smiled back before dropping his legs from his grip. "You know, you're alright."

"I certainly hope so. I see us in this particular situation for the foreseeable future."

Virgil snorted out a laugh and nudged him with his foot before falling back on the bed. "Hope it's going alright."

\---

Roman perched himself on the armrest of the couch, Patton pulled into a hug as Roman tried soothing him. "Shh, come on Pat. You're okay."

Patton shook his head, biting his lip and fighting the tears that threatened to ruin Roman's shirt. "I'm s-sorry."

"Deep breaths, you got this. I have good news but I need you to calm down first." He felt Patton answer with a nod and take in a few shaky breaths. Slowly, Patton pulled away and wiped his eyes, looking up at Roman with a grateful smile. "There you are."

Roman reached up and wiped Patton's cheek with a careful hand, earning a smile from the other. "Thanks. Sorry about that."

"To be honest, I've been where you are and I understand." Roman reached down and grabbed Patton's hand, pulling it up between them. "I need you to do me a favor before I can tell you the good news."

"Okay. What is it?"

"Virgil tells me you two had a bit of a heart-to-heart before. Do you remember it?"

Patton smirked and nodded. "Yeah, he was talking bad about himself, he thought I asked to spend time with him just because I wanted something."

"He didn't tell me exactly what you said, but I could tell it resonated with him pretty deeply." Roman rubbed Patton's hand with his thumb gently. "You had a very small one with Logan as well."

"I did?"

Roman nodded. "He said after you two left that phony's place and you had told him off, he told you about how he started to believe in soulmates. He said the way you spoke to the imposter was the same way that made him want to believe in the idea of soulmates in the first place."

"I didn't know I did that..."

Roman chuckled and shook his head. "Logan works differently. He shares his love in subtle ways, but they're there." Roman looked down at Patton's hand. "Then there's us."

"Us?" Roman leaned down and gave Patton's hand a gentle kiss before pulling away. "R-roman..."

"I knew you were special the moment I saw you. Something about you, the way you looked at the world, the way you spoke... I knew you were special. That's when it happened, you know."

Patton's face fell flush and he could practically hear his heartbeat. "What happened?" He whispered quietly, looking up at Roman.

"My third string." Roman held up Patton's hand once more, showing the hand that held his strings. "There were only two at that point."

"Really?"

Roman nodded and dropped their hands once more. "You see, there are people who can see the strings and can still have soulmates, Patton. We just can't see our own at first. It's like cheating your way to true love."

Patton froze at the news, blinking rapidly to fight back the tears as his throat tried to close up. "Really?"

"I met with Virgil and started hunting down Logan as I usually did. After spending some time together, I had a thought. A wish I guess you could say." Roman smiled brightly and the look he shot Patton made his breath catch in his throat. "I wished I could have a love just like Virgil. He was so wonderful and brilliant, even if he doesn't see it and hides under all those dark clothes. Next thing I knew, I had a string and at the end of it was one of Virgil's."

Patton shook his head. "That's not how it works. You can't just become his soulmate."

Roman laughed, being the loudest noise in a while with their whispered conversations. "I didn't, I always had been. I just didn't know it until I believed it."

Patton smiled before turning away. "Wait. So, what you're telling me is that the day we met and your third string appeared, y-you think that's me?" Patton's voice grew softer and softer as he spoke. "Are you sure?"

"Absolutely." Roman leaned in a bit, running his thumb back over Patton's hand, still in his grasp. "The four of us, Patton. I know it's a lot, but in those moments, couldn't you feel it? Right now, can't you feel like there's something right there?" Roman reached up with his spare hand and pointed to Patton's chest. "Your heart, right there. Doesn't it feel so incredibly heavy, almost making it hard to breathe?"

Patton gasped and finally tore his hand out of Roman's grip, leaning back and grasping his shirt above his heart. "You're not saying that all of you are my soulmates, you're not."

"Patton." Roman reached out and Patton pulled back further causing him to freeze. Pulling his hand back, Roman sighed and turned, sitting on the armrest still. "I'm sorry, I knew this would be a lot, but you just have to believe! You deserve your happy ending, Patton! You're our happily ever after!"

\---

 

Virgil jumped when he heard a noise coming from the living room. A shout was heard and Logan saw Virgil launch himself off the bed and throw the door open faster than he could react. Quickly following, they both saw Roman turn from the open front door and look at them both panicked. 

“Patton, he just...” He motioned to the door. “He freaked out and ran off!”

“Should we go after him?” Virgil eyed the door cautiously.

Roman huffed and turned, marching out of their apartment. “If we don’t, he could just disappear! Of course, we’re going after him!”


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The finale

Roman ran out of the apartment at a breakneck speed, surprised he managed to not trip over himself. He spun around, glancing down the sidewalk Patton had walked up from with no luck. The other man was gone. "Where did he go?"

Virgil ran out next with Logan right behind. "Wait!" Virgil looked up at Roman with a hopeful glance. "Can't you follow his string? You can see them!"

"Brilliant, that should work. Should it not?" Logan asked, still glancing down the street.

Roman groaned and huffed. "My string is attached to his, but there's just one problem." He turned to Virgil and grit his teeth. "He doesn't have any! Our strings will react when he is nearby but unless he believes he can give us a shot, our strings will just run off to nowhere. I've tried already."

Virgil huffed and turned the way Roman had originally looked. "Then we find him and convince him!"

"I'm not sure how making him accept our feelings would work out."

"Better than doing nothing! If Patton was like how I was, he will be in complete denial and runoff. Now!" Roman called out, racing down the street. "Come, we have a soulmate to find!"

\---

Patton had stopped running but was walking at an incredible pace. Biting his lip, he hunched over a bit and looked down at his feet as he walked. A part of him hoped the others came after him, but a much larger part just screamed at him to go and run and never turn back.

He should have left when Virgil found out like he usually did. He knew he was getting too close when Roman was acting strangely in that bakery. He knew after going to that liar that things were only going to get worse. Everything had been a lie from the beginning. Roman and Logan and even Virgil... There was just no way, that's not how things worked!

Patton slowed a bit and blinked away any tears, wiping the strays with his sleeve as he took a moment to catch his breath. He wasn't even sure where he was going, he had just kind of ran off in the direction he came from before losing track of where he was. He didn't want to head home and any of his comfort zones were places the others visited or knew about. All Patton wanted to do was sit down and try to process everything that had happened.

Patton pulled out his phone and turned down the street with a new destination in mind. It took a bit to get there and he was sure his eyes were still a bit puffy if not still red from earlier. He pushed the door open and walked right in, marching up to the familiar desk and ringing the bell that sat on top before he lost his courage and backed out.

He heard footsteps approaching from the side before the door opened up, the smiling face of the man quickly dropping when he saw who it was. "Oh, it's just you." He crossed his arms and huffed, rolling his eyes. "So, who send you? Roman or Virgil?"

"Well, actually I... Wait, you know Virgil?"

"Of course I do!" The man turned and finally took in Patton for the first time and took in his disheveled appearance. "Oh. Well, I take it you came here because..." He shook his head. "I have no idea, honestly."

"Oh, well, I was hoping if you're not too busy... Uh, what is your name? Roman just called you the deceitful... actually it was a long tangent of things."

"He calls me Deceit?" He huffed and turned around. "Not surprised. Come on in and we can talk."

Patton followed him through the door, entering the same room he had with Logan prior, taking the same seat he had as well. The man shuffled around before falling back into his chair, his whole facade from before gone and broken. "Well, uh... Can I call you Dee instead if you won't give your name?"

"What are you doing here? Patton, was it?" He responded with a timid nod, causing the other man to sigh and slump into his chair more. "Look, I took the appointment because Virgil asked me to and I kind of owed him. Whatever you want now, you better ask so you can leave."

"I don't know." Patton sighed and glanced down at his hands. "Roman went on about how he could see the strings but he has strings and I just... got a bit overwhelmed."

This caused the man to perk up in his seat a bit. "Wait, Roman never told you? Then why did he even send you here?"

"Wait, I thought you just said Virgil made the appointment?" Patton blinked as he grew more confused. "No, you're right. Roman was the one I was in contact with and he sent me here..."

The man huffed and sat up in his chair as he stared Patton down. "Fine, I'll tell you the story, though I don't know all of it." He waved his hand around a bit. "Virgil was in contact with me about doing a session where we go over his string, you know the drill. Except he was a few towns over and would have to make the trip so we never set anything up." Patton stayed still, silently listening to the story with his full attention. "Anyway, he tells me he had found someone that will actually follow your string to your soulmate. It cost a bit more depending on how far you had to go but I hadn't heard from Virgil after that. Not until one day he calls my phone asking to set up an appointment. Apparently, he had been in the city with Roman looking for his soulmate." With a roll of his eyes, he shifted in his seat for a more comfortable position. "Virgil shows up and is practically silent the entire time. No questions or anything. Thought I was getting my leg pulled before he asked to set up a second meeting with some guy as well. Low and behold, next time he shows he has Roman trailing after him." The man spat out Roman's name as he said it. "Came in calling me a fake and a liar. Went on some weird tangent about how Virgil deserved better than someone playing around with him. Then he grew quiet and ran out. No idea what that was about but he left his buddy here. We talked and I apologized. Said I would owe him a favor if he ever needed it." He shifted in his seat and glanced away. "We still talk, much to Roman's dismay."

"Roman stormed out... talking about Virgil?" Instead of a verbal response, Patton earned a half-hearted shrug before looking down at his hands. "That must have been when his string for Virgil showed up, maybe."

"His what? Strings don't just show up."

Patton shook his head. "No, but when you can see strings you can't see your own unless you believe you've met your soulmate. At least that's what Roman said." Patton stood up proud and determined before smiling down at the man. "Thanks, Dee. If you ever want to track your string, let me know." He turned and walked out of the room and out the door.

The man sighed and pulled out his phone before dialing away and pressing it up to his face. "Virgil. Yes, I know you don't wanna hear me but listen. Your little friend was just here."

\---

Patton sat down on the bench in the park while glancing around. He was pretty sure it was the same one from when he met Roman, though it had been so long he wasn't quite sure. He washed his face in the public restroom and hadn't looked like as much of a mess as before to his relief. 

Patton watched all the strings tangled in the trees or on signs, pretty much anything they could get tangled into. He had always seen it as a cat that played with a lot of yarn for far too long, imagining fate as a giant cat seemed all too likely with how things seemed to have worked out.

Patton took in a slow breath, enjoying the fresh air and gentle breeze before letting it go. He closed his eyes and focused on what Roman had told him earlier. He had to believe that he was their missing piece and the strings would appear. He thought of every joke and smile, every time he managed to cheer them up... any time they did the same for him. Patton sat on that bench until he started to grow uncomfortable and the evening breeze made him shiver. He took a moment before finally peeking out and glancing down at his hand. His shoulders fell, seeing the same blank slate as before.

Patton fell back on the bench, defeated and exhausted. The day had been long and emotionally draining far beyond what he was used to. Perhaps they were wrong? The strings didn't go to him because he didn't have any, it seemed terribly unlikely that it could be true. He wanted it to be true, he had hoped it would be. Perhaps that was his problem. That little bit of hope he always had and could never shake, no matter what.

It was time to move on, he decided. Go to a new city and start fresh. His phone easily replaced and he could vanish as if he were never there. He stood up and stretched, his back a bit sore before he blinked and turned to walk down the path before he froze. A few yards in front of him stood Roman, phone in his hand as he tried not to shout into it, a look of relief on his face. Patton sat back down, too tired to continue running at this point.

Roman raced forward and kneeled down on the ground, looking up at Patton. "We were all so worried! You just vanished, are you okay?"

"Yeah." Patton gave a small smile, not sure how much Roman believed it. "I think I might be. Look, Roman. I think you might have been..." Patton licked his lips as his mouth ran dry. "I think you were wrong about me."

Roman reached up and grabbed Patton's hands, wrapping them with his own. "I don't think I am. You deserve love, Patton, and we want to spend every day with you until you finally believe it yourself."

Patton shook his head as he half-heartedly tried pulling his hands away. "Roman, don't."

Roman gripped his hands a bit tighter and perked up. "No, listen! You make our lives better. We are all better for knowing you, Patton! The least we can do is return the favor." Patton glanced up as he saw Logan and Virgil slow down and stop a few feet away. "Just give us a chance. Believe in us, please."

Patton looked down at his hands as Roman slowly unfurled his own. Patton saw that nothing had changed, they looked the same as always. He glanced back up at Roman before looking over at the other two, noticing they had slowly started to make their way over.

Each one looked at Patton with hope in their eyes, begging to be given a chance in their own ways. Hope that Patton was ready to try and throw away once and for good. He looked down at his hands, wondering what it would be like to not have to leave or live in worry. Talking to Roman who understood all too well how he felt. Helping the other two open up and showing them what Patton had seen in other soulmates his entire life. That spark they shared and the warmth that it made him feel.

A flash of red grabbed both his and Roman's attention. The looked down at Patton's hand as it happened once more. Strings, tied to Patton's left pinky, flashed for a moment before fading out once more. He looked up at the exact time Roman did, a small smile creeping onto his face. He laughed and launched himself at Roman, falling into his arms.

"I knew you could do it." The other two walked up and Roman pulled Patton up. "We'll make you believe in us, Patton."

He pulled away and smiled at the three men before him. "Okay." He whispered, smiling and nodding, ignoring the tears that pooled in his eyes once more. "Alright. I'll try."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for joining my little short story <3


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